Buhari-Era Military Rivalry Denied Troops Air Support, Presidential Aide Says

Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has alleged that a rivalry between the Nigerian Army and the Air Force during former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration resulted in troops being denied air support during some military operations.

He made the claim on a recent episode of The Link Up Podcast, where he was responding to questions about allegations that terrorist groups may have infiltrated the Nigerian military.

Bwala said he remembered during Buhari's administration, there was a reported disagreement between the Chief of Air Staff and the leadership of the Nigerian Army. As a result, whenever an operation was undertaken, the military would not receive air cover.

"I remember during Buhari there was this disagreement that was reported to be between the Chief of Air Staff and that of the Army, so that whenever an operation was undertaken, when they asked for air cover, there wouldn’t be support," he said.

But Bwala reassured that in the current administration, there is coordination and cooperation between the military and the Air Force. "In this administration, it is not so. There is coordination or cooperation," he said.

The presidential aide also dismissed claims that security personnel deliberately protect terrorists during attacks, describing such assertions as speculative. "I don’t think so. You see that’s a conjecture, except there’s a live case," he said.

However, he acknowledged that isolated cases of infiltration or collaboration by individuals within security agencies cannot be completely ruled out. "You cannot rule out the facts that they may have one or two agents in the army, anywhere else, that providing... Our police have always been arrested, and soldiers arrested involved in this kind of thing," he said.

Bwala also suggested that Nigeria's security challenges have an international dimension, pointing to demonstrations in parts of northern Nigeria where Russian flags were reportedly displayed. "If you remember, there was a decision the Federal Government of Nigeria made at that time, immediately we started seeing these people in Nigeria lifting Russian flags," he said.

He further referred to claims made by United States Congressman Scott Perry, who alleged during a congressional hearing that the CIA funded Boko Haram and the Islamic State. Bwala said he was not endorsing the allegations but highlighting that such discussions had taken place.

Assessing President Bola Tinubu's administration, Bwala said the government had recorded significant progress, particularly in strengthening Nigeria's foreign reserves and improving revenue generation.

"He has done more than enough to earn the trust of Nigerians," he said, adding that it should ultimately be left to Nigerians to determine whether the President deserves another term in office.